Need HELP!!! on Mods

SilverFox2021

We have been NuCamp admirers for many years and within 3 weeks will be NuCamp owners- We are SOOOOOO excited. I do need some help and have some questions that I know the group will be able to answer or have experienced. 
1. Electrical upgrade. We are planning to upgrade our system to Lithium before we pick up the Tab320S Boondock. I have always been a big fan of Battleborn Batteries. I have reached out to DragonFly and am in the process of ordering the equipment. I don't want to over buy or under preform. I am hoping that other owners may have some experience on what exactly we need to order. I want to store the equipment in the unit so we can do winter camping in Colorado for cross country skiing. Thoughts?
2. Sway bar and weight distribution hitches- Do we need them. We are NOT experinced travel trailer or trailer drivers and many time I feel like my wife will be taking it out for short trips on her own so I defintiely want it to be as safe as we can and as easy to hook up as possible? Thoughts
3. We are planning to a larger tool box from DeeZee up front with an additional propane tank to allow us to be off grid more often. Thought

I am an old school teacher and football coach so am VERY new to the social media and forum access so if I did this wrong, please forgive me and teach me. Have a blessed day.

Horigan

Regarding sway bar and WDH, it depends on your tow vehicle.  You're less likely to need one with a 320.  The longer the wheel base of your tow vehicle the better.  What does your tow vehicle manual say?  Our Highlander manual says "sway control" is needed for trailers over 2000 lbs.  I think our Highlander tows our 400 fine without sway control, but am getting a WDH with sway control anyway since that what the manual says.  I don't want insurance denied after an accident.

webers3

Third season towing 320 with relatively short wheelbase TV (compare to trucks), never had any indication I needed sway bar or weight distribution, I think either one or both would overdoing it.

VictoriaP

A 320 generally doesn’t need a WDH, sway bars depend on the vehicle. What are you planning to tow with?

If we’re talking about a 2021 320, I *thought* there was the option to have the batteries stowed in the cabin and a second propane tank up front without having to change the front tub? With lithium, I’d much rather have the batteries inside, especially for cold weather camping. If they’re in the tub, you’ll either need heated ones or to get heat into that area somehow in order to charge the batteries during freezing weather. 

You’ll also want to search the forum for the various plumbing mods done for winter camping. These are not four season trailers; you will need to think about how you’ll keep the plumbing from freezing on those ski trips.

SilverFox2021

We are towing with a Subaru Outback Wilderness with the towing capacity of 3500 LBS. 

VictoriaP

SilverFox2021 said:

We are towing with a Subaru Outback Wilderness with the towing capacity of 3500 LBS. 

Then a WDH is absolutely forbidden, per your vehicle’s owner’s manual. A sway bar is highly questionable, due to the unibody construction, but isn’t specifically called out in the manual (at least in the 2020 & 2021 US manuals, I haven’t seen the 2022 yet). I’ve known Subie owners to swear by them, and I’ve known others to report damage due to them. Use at your own risk.

Your best bet is to learn how to weigh the tongue of your trailer, and get it to somewhere between 275-325 pounds. You will need to do this regularly if your load up front varies; with two propane tanks in use in cold weather, and changes to the amount of food in your fridge as it gets eaten up, this can change quite a bit over the course of a trip. This tongue weight will put you into the 10-15% range of total trailer weight that you need to minimize sway. Learn how to use your electric brake controller to independently activate the trailer brakes  to stop sway if it happens…the manual controller needs to be easily in reach from the driver’s seat during an adrenaline-fueled situation, so as a person new to towing, you should practice reaching for it beforehand while driving. You don’t want to be fumbling around to grab it when the trailer starts to move sideways.

One Subaru Outback specific note, the stock Subaru hitch attaches at different points than the 3rd party hitches. Damage to the unibody that Subaru refused to cover under warranty has been documented by someone towing a Tab with a Curt hitch. If you go third party, be sure to regularly check for cracks near the mount.

AirBoss

First, thank you for your service to our youth! Don't think that's expressed often enough. 

I'd say save your $$$ for the moment. Get your T@B and take it for a spin or two with gear and water in the T@B and your Subaru loaded up. See how your vehicle handles it. And load your TV properly by keeping the majority of the weight on or forward of the rear axle. 

In general nuCamp doesn't recommend WDH. Sway control is another matter and a personal preference. I use one now but find it's a bit of belt and suspenders approach. But every vehicle/trailer is unique so what works for some may not feel right for others. As they say...YMMV!

Think you'll find a WDH isn't necessary. 

Congrats! Enjoy! 

xdr

Regarding the extra propane tank- We have a 2021 400 and considered adding a second tank to our Tab when we had it at the factory for work last year. We changed our minds about it and the tech at the factory said it was a mod he didn't make often because most people find they don't need 2 tanks. 
We were glad we stuck with just the one tank because he was right, we have never needed two tanks. Our Tab just sips the propane. 
Maybe it would be a good idea to leave it as is and see what your propane usage is like the first season?
You are going to love the camper! Enjoy!
mer

SilverFox2021

Wow- Thanks for all the great information. The hitch that we purchased was the Subaru hitch as the Curt hitch is not recommended for the Outback Wilderness. We are putting in the RedArc pro trailer brakes that sits directly in front on the lower panel. This should be easy to reach.

All and any tips are greatly appreciated. 

SilverFox2021

Since we are planning to do a fair amount of winter camping, I would assume that theheater will need more propane. Is this correct?

Marceline

SilverFox2021 said:

Since we are planning to do a fair amount of winter camping, I would assume that theheater will need more propane. Is this correct?

I would test it out a bit before doing that modification to the front. You may find that you don't really need another propane bottle. Since the fridge runs off electric, I would focus on power generation/storage. 

Sharon_is_SAM

When we were new, we carried a second tank traveling out to Utah March/April.  I believe we did change to the second tank, but, now we know to just monitor it closer and refill in advance.  We now carry a 5# propane cylinder for the grill and can use that in a pinch.  Carried the extra 20# tank in an milk crate and it was a pain.  I agree with Marceline - wait.

Da_Birds

It would be helpful to know what you expect your average length of your trips would be to have a better idea what your power and gas needs may be. I do concur with the others, I wouldn't add a second propane tank out of the gate. It likely wouldn't be needed and you can always bring along a spare tank until you are certain what your needs will be. I think you will be surprised by how efficient the Alde is.

As first time trailer owners this season ourselves, my suggestion is to take things slow. Take time to get to know your trailer's systems and understand it's and your TV's capabilities. Our first "trips" were in our back yard. We also took it out a couple of days just to drive around and practice hitching/unhitching backing in the trailer etc. This was before we even ventured out to nearby campgrounds. We found this experience invaluable in making our first trips away from home smooth and relatively stress free.

GatorEgg

NuCamp used to say no to WDH on the 320.  You shouldn’t need it.  If you do you have the wrong tow vehicle.  Sway control device may be required in more than one way.  My Tacoma goes fine without it.  But reading the truck owners manual one bored day I saw where Toyota specifies a anti-sway control device for any trailer over 2000 lbs.  So for $35 I now have one.  And yes, my Tacoma has factory computerized anti sway programming. Check your manual.

Denny16

A larger box up front is only going to add weight.  A second propane tank is really not necessary in a TaB320, unless you plan to take a two week long trip without any refill facilities available.  We have the larger TaB400 and have camped for a week long trip and not used a complete 20lb tank of gas.  It did take two weeks of running the Alde on gas during cold weather to go through a single 20lbs tank on the 400.  I would think the same size tank on the smaller 320 would be more than adequate for 10 days or more on the road.
cheers

bergger

I would not worry about doing too many mods before you get your trailer.  Use it a bit first from the factory so see what works for you and what does not.  Then make adjustments from there.  As far as extra propane goes I would avoid putting tons of extra weight on the tongue of the trailer.  When we go on 7+ day trips I do bring an extra bottle but have yet to use it.  Our last trip was for 3 nights and night time lows got down to 28 degrees so we used the heat more.  Averaged about 11-12% of the propane bottle a night.  So if you plan on winter camping for extended periods you may want another bottle.  But I would just carry it in you truck.  I do recommend getting a Mopeka tank sensor to monitor your levels.  They are inexpensive and work very well.  

Basil48192

I tow my 2021, 320S with a Ford F-150 and can barely tell it's back there.  So far (about 10 trips) it has been very stable with very little sway. 
Regarding battery upgrades:  I installed two, 6V, 235 Amp Hour AGM batteries in my propane tub.  I also have the roof solar panel and a 200w suitcase.  I was unsure about the temperature limitations of Lithium and, so far, have been very happy.  I just finished a 3-day weekend 'off-grid' in northern, lower Michigan.  I used the heat, hot water, refrigerator, lights, TV and fan (while showering) every day and never dropped below 88% on my battery.  We had good sun on Saturday which charged me back up to 100%.  

Homebodyatheart

2017 320S owner here. After five seasons I still haven’t emptied the original propane tank in any one season, and top it off before winter. I try to get out 10-12 trips, three to five days each. I bought a Little Red Campfire and an 11# propane tank that go with it, so I do have a backup source if I ever need it. 

I also fully agree to hold off on many purchases and mods until you have camped in it, get a feel for the systems and space, then buy what makes you happy. Best of luck and happy Tabbing! 

Mickerly

I agree with "Homebodyatheart". NuCamp builds a really nice trailer. Take it out a few times to get to know it a little. Get a feeling for how the trailer is meant to work. It may sound kind of odd, but wait until you have a relationship with the trailer. Then think about what would be nice to change. After 8 months, many of the mods I thought were 'needed' in the beginning appear to be unnecessary.